


See Barba... you do need me.

by Indiprincess



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Babysitting, Barisi - Freeform, Couch Cuddles, Feel-good, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 08:12:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6187042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indiprincess/pseuds/Indiprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short ficlet in which Sonny volunteers his and Rafael's babysitting services to Amanda and Olivia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	See Barba... you do need me.

Carisi practically runs into the elevator in Rafael's building, offering a nod and a friendly wave to the doorman. He presses the button to the 32nd floor once, twice, threefourfivesixseven times, jabbing harder & faster with each press until the doors close. 

This is bad. So bad. He's going to be in for it. He knows it. He is so late and Barba is going to murder him. And with his legal expertise and mental sharpness, in all likelihood, Barba will get away with it. If Barba is still alive up there on the 32nd floor, that is. As the elevator makes it's slow climb, Sonny bounces with impatience, willing the elevator to climb the floors faster and dying inside at each floor it stopped at to pick up a passenger. Who needed to be going up from the middle of the building anyway? He thought as he swallowed his sighs and offered a polite smile and nod, and pressing the floors they needed before going back to watching the floors tick away.

Carisi had good reason to be nervous. He had volunteered his services to Rollins and Benson for tonight. They were attending a banquet for women in law enforcement and Sonny had offered to watch Noah and Jessie for the duration of the four hour event. They had been skeptical immediately, with Carisi living so far away, with having to go take the kids out there and back twice seemed more hassle and a lot to do in the short time they had after work to get it done. Perhaps he would be willing to watch them some other time, maybe on a weekend? Sonny had stopped all protests by offering to watch them at Rafael's apartment before he could stop himself or think better of it.

Bless Benson and Rollins for keeping their reactions in check, only offering one another quick glances with raised eyebrows and smiles that were stifled. (It was not exactly a secret, yet not exactly common knowledge that Barba and Carisi were... were... well, were what exactly? An item? Dating? More than that? Well whatever they were, this was a first that they'd heard it brought up this way and they did their best to keep surprise from their faces and kept their questions at bay.) Barba lived much much closer so that would be great, they had agreed readily, relieved not to have had to pay overtime or find replacement sitters. Carisi was thrilled to be able to help. He loved to feel valued and useful, and he just adored kids. He had been so excited when they said yes, and then he remembered he'd have to tell Rafael what he had signed them up for.

And as well-received as the idea of them babysitting had been by Olivia and Amanda, Sonny had gotten just the opposite reaction from Rafael in his apartment that night.

"You volunteered to watch their children?"

"Yes." Sonny says the word slowly and clearly, as if he were unsure if this were a trick question.

"At my apartment?" 

"Yes." Carisi, a witness for the defense is offering only necessary information, direct answers to the questions posed to him.

Barba the prosecutor seeks to put him on the ropes, slinging question after question to unsteady his witness before he goes in for the kill, for the question he would like answered most. "So. You told them that we are..." Prosecution falters. "That we. That we..."

That makes Sonny smile, feeling that the upper hand now belongs to him. "I'm sorry counselor, would you repeat the question please?"

Barba sets his jaw and shoots Sonny a look in response to that smirk on his face. "Do they know. Did you..." Barba tries again.

"Objection, does the prosecution have a question?" Sonny teases, loving seeing Rafael flustered. He had known he would be on the receiving end of his mood after he had offered Barba's apartment to babysit. He hadn't thought before he had spoken, but surely the squad knew right? I mean, Barba and Liv were friends, surely he had told her. Surely. And he himself had come so close to telling Rollins he thought the words might fly out at any moment. Her dropping hints every now and then in conversation. For Christ's sake they were all detectives and if they hadn't puzzled it out by now, that didn't say much their skill. Sonny decides to help Rafael out. "Are you asking me if they know you let me keep a toothbrush here, and that you call me "mi corazon" from time to time, and that I know how to make you whisper "te adoro" when the lights go out? Is that your line of questioning counselor?"

"Alright detective, you made your point." Rafael is unable to stifle the small laugh that escapes him, despite this news. He hadn't told Liv about him and Carisi yet. He had wanted to tell her but they had both been so busy it had been hard for the old friends to find time to connect. He had wished to tell her over drinks, to see the surprise on her face, and he could let the satisfaction show on his own. They could have talked a few moments about how great Carisi was, Liv having seen the greatness in him that some could miss, while they had their drinks and waited for their dinner before talking about any news she might have, anyone she might be seeing, and how therapy was going for Noah. He hadn't wanted her to find out this way that he and Carisi were... dating... exclusive... friends with benefits...? Well, whatever they were, he regretted not being the one to have told her. "Well detective, since this is your doing, I will let you handle it, because as you know, I will have work to do."

Sonny's grin swallows half his face. "You won't even know we're here."

Somehow Rafael doubts that, and he opens his mouth to tell him so, but the sight of Sonny, eyes alight with excitement and a smile that could not possibly get any larger, well, they tug at his heart. And the dimples, they stop him in his tracks. He closes his mouth and offers Sonny a nod and a quick kiss on the temple.

***********************************************

Finally Sonny gets to the door to Rafael's apartment and unlocks the door with the key Rafael had given him just for today. He takes a deep breath, nervous for what he will find on the other side of the door, or who he would find. He had hoped Rafael was okay without him, that he hadn't had to call Lucy to come watch them, or worse, have called Liv or Amanda back to come get them. He takes a deep breath and opens the door. "Rafael, I'm sorry I'm late, Mini Dodds and I had to go to Queens to talk to a potential witness and there was a traffic accident on our way back and we sat and sat and sat and I could have had him drop me here but I know you don't want any question..." Sonny is hurriedly tossing out the explanation as he takes off his bag, and hangs up his coat and rolls up his sleeves. "Okay, I'm ready, what do you need me to... do?" The last word fades on Sonny's lips as takes in the scene. Rafael, Noah and Jessie all sitting peacefully on the sofa. Rafael is at the end, a pillow under Jessie and his arm resting on the arm of the sofa, and he's feeding her a bottle. Noah is sitting as close to Rafael as he can possibly get, with a book in his lap. Rafael reads from it with a quiet flourish and gusto that "I do not like green eggs and ham I do not like them Sam I am!" that makes Noah laugh. Rafael gives Sonny a nod of acknowledgement and continues with his story. Sonny goes back to his bag to change into the hoodie and jeans and sneakers he had brought with him for tonight. He's in complete shock at the scene that was before him. He was positive Rafael would have been furious at him for being late, that Jessie would be screaming and that Noah would be running wild. Amanda and Liv had been just as doubtful when they dropped their little ones off. Rafael slightly offended that everyone thought he could not handle this. Excuse him, but he put away some of the most horrifying people ever to walk the earth on a daily basis, so he was pretty sure that he could handle an infant and a toddler. Just because he didn't do it regularly, or with the ease and eagerness of Sonny Carisi didn't mean he couldn't handle watching children. He assured the women he had their cell numbers and would call no matter what if there was a problem and yes he knew how to reheat a bottle and yes he knew how to check the temperature and please go and have fun, they will be fine. The women eased as Rafael turned his back to them, suggesting Noah pick out a book to read, one of the five Carmen had bought on her lunch break after learning of his endeavor, and when he picked up baby Jessie as she began to stir and popped her pacifier in her mouth and he began to rock her.

Sonny stands for a few minutes to watch the scene in front of him and let himself indulge in the feelings that wash over him. Love, pride, hope, and a little sadness, as Rafael finishes his story and Noah closes the book and gives him a hug.

"Noah, look who it is, Sonny is here. Go say hello." Noah runs into Sonny's arms to be lifted up over his head like he likes, arms spread wide for Sonny to pretend he is an airplane. Rafael is grateful that this comes so easy to Sonny, that will make tonight easier on them both. He's a little envious of that ease, but perhaps with time, it is something he could learn as well.

"Should I start dinner?"

"No, I've got it ordered. Organic mac and cheese and organic chicken nuggets for Noah, and Panini's for you and I. I thought sandwiches would be good so we could each have a free hand." Rafael smiles tiredly as they both are going to have their hands more than full tonight.

After dinner Rafael contented himself with looking after Jessie while Sonny and Noah played and played until Noah nearly dropped in his arms. Sonny carried him to Rafael's bed and tucked him in with a story while Rafael gave Jessie another bottle to try to stop her fussing. Even after the bottle and the swaddling and the burping and the rocking, he cannot get Jessie to stop. Once Sonny is done and Noah is sleeping he joins Rafael in the living room, that wailing breaks his heart as Rafael rocks and shakes a rattle. Rafael even tries singing, his voice causes Sonny to stop and do a double take. He had no idea Rafael could sing so beautifully but he has no time for that right now. He will ask him about that later. "Can I try Rafael?" Sonny asks and Rafael hands her over, grateful for any help he can get. Sonny bounces from his knees, his trick that works every time. He lets out a quiet laugh as Rafael sighs with relief and loosens his tie and plops on the couch, a even longer sigh escaping him. "See Barba, you do need me." Sonny says triumphantly as he joins Barba on the couch, accidentally voicing the thought that had plagued him earlier when Rafael seemed to have everything so under control, even dinner.

Rafael picks up on that immediately. He had been hoping to impress Sonny with how well he had handled the task, showing him that he was up for anything with Sonny. Anything. He felt bad in the way he had grilled Sonny when he first came to Rafael to tell him that he had volunteered them to babysit, and wanted to make up for that. He wanted to show Sonny whatever they were, whatever adventure he brought to his door Rafael was up for it. But apparently in this task, Sonny wanted to be needed. Needed to be needed. Needed Rafael to need him. Rafael understands this and seeks to reassure his Sonny of the space in his heart and his need for him, and his gratitude to have him here, close to him this evening as they babysat for the ladies in their life that they each adored.

He kisses Sonny's temple and pulls his head close to his own to whisper a quick reassurance to him. "Indeed mi corazon. Indeed I do."


End file.
